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January 28, 2008 issue
Insurance
BILL: HB 1055 – Assignment of Benefits
AUTHOR: Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary
ISMA POSITION: Support
THIS WEEK: The House Public Health Committee voted 8-1 in favor of an amended version of HB 1055.
The bill would require insurers to honor a patient’s request for assignment of benefits to an out-of-network provider. HB 1055 was amended in committee to require a non-network physician to notify the patient that he/she may receive a bill for the balance of charges for health care services. The bill now moves to the full House for consideration.
BILL: SB 159 – Silent PPOs
AUTHOR: Sen. Beverly Gard, R-Greenfield
ISMA POSITION: Support
THIS WEEK: The Senate approved an amended version of SB 159 with a unanimous vote.
The amended version of the bill would require conspicuous language in a physician contract if a network chooses to sell a physician’s discounted reimbursement rate to third parties. The network also would be required to maintain a Web site or toll-free phone number listing all parties to whom the network has sold the discount.
In addition, SB 159 would require the third party to include contact information for the network who sold the discount on the explanation of benefits. The bill would also require the third party to comply with the terms and conditions of the underlying contract.
Finally, the bill would prohibit aggregators from selling or leasing physician reimbursement rates. SB 159 now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
BILL: HB 1342 – Electronic health records system
AUTHOR: Rep. Mike Ripley, R-Monroe
ISMA POSITION: Oppose
THIS WEEK: The House Health Technology, Research and Development Committee heard testimony on the bill but did not take a vote.
HB 1342 would require health care facilities and practitioners to use electronic health records systems for purposes of billing and receipt of claim payment services rendered by the facility or practitioner by Jan. 1, 2010. The system would have to allow for the exchange of information between the system and the claim payment system of each third party to which the practitioner submits a bill.
The ISMA and a number of other provider groups raised numerous concerns about the bill. Because of these concerns, the committee chair decided not to take a vote on the bill, which essentially killed it.
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